Shoe-form



M. T. KALDENBERG.

SHOE FORM.

APPLICATION FILED mus. 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

Z fire/7207'; .MZZI'aZdeuZweiy M; T. KALDENBERG.

SHOE FORM.

APPLICATION FILED APR.8. 1919.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

/Illdd? UNlTFQD STATES PATENT OFFICE;

MARINES T. KALDENBERG, or vnv'ron, IOWA.

SHOE-FORM.

Application filed April 8, 1919.

1 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARINEs T. KALDEN- BERG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vinton, in the county of Benton and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Forms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shoe forms and has as its primar object to provide a shoe form especially designed for use 111 connection with shoes to be placed on display although the form is not strictly limited to this use.

While various devices have been proposed and employed for disposal within shoes to be displayed so as to give to the shoe the same shape and appearance that it would have if being worn, yet such devices have ordinarily not only been expensive to manufacture but they have also lacked the features of adjustment which would enable them to be employed in various sizes and styles of shoes. For example, where a wooden foot and ankle form is disposed within a shoe for display purposes, each one of the devices must be of a size and shape to especially adapt it for use within the shoe to be displayed and the use of such devices, therefore, necessitates the carrying in stock of a considerable number of them with a consequent outlay of considerable money. The present invention, therefore, has as a further object to so construct the form embodying the present invention that the form may be readily adjusted or adapted for introduction into various sizes and styles of shoes, thus enabling a single one of the devices to be employed interchangeably with a relatively large number of shoes to be displayed.

The device embodying the present invention is designed primarily for use in high top shoes and it is an object of the invention to so construct the/device that the shoe upper may be stretched or distended through adjustment of the device so as to assume the correct shape.

A further object of the invention is to provide for the adjustment above mentioned in such manner that the device may be employed in shoes having uppers of various heights.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device with means for engagement Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

Serial No. 288,533.

against the inner side of the front of the upper of the shoe so as to hold the same in proper shape when the shoe is laced.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device for the purpose stated embodying means to engage the insole of a shoe at the heel portion thereof and extend therebetween and the top of the upper of the shoe and adjustable as to length so as to properly stretch or distend said upper, and a toe form having an adjustable shank connected with an element of the first mentioned means, the toe form and its shank being separable from the first mentioned. means so that one size of toe form may be substituted for another, thus further widening the range of adaptability of the device to various sizes and styles of shoes.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the arrangement of the form within a high top shoe.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device, the upper of the shoe being shown in horizontal section.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the device arranged within a shoe which latter is also shown in section.

Fig. i is a sectional perspective view illustrating the heel engaging member of the form.

As before stated, the form embodying the present invention includes an upper stretcher designed to bear between the heel of a shoe and the top of the shoe upper so as to stretch or distend the said upper to proper form, and a toe form having a shank adapted to be connected with the stretcher and to bear against the inner side of the front of the shoe upper while the toe form proper seats within the toe of the shoe.

The stretcher includes spaced heads and an adjustable connection between the heads and one of these heads is in the nature of a heel plate indicated by the numeral 1 and preferably of sheet metal, the plate having a marginal contour to more or less closely conform to the marginal contour of the heel portion of the insole of a shoe. A spur 2 is struck down from the heel plate at the rear side of the plate and being pointed is designed to bite into the heel portion of the insole of the shoe, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, so as to prevent slipping of the heel plate when the stretcher is ar-- ranged within the shoe. For a purposeto be presently explained, a tubular shank 3 is secured at its lower end to the heel plate and extends vertically from the upper side of the said plate and this shank at its upper end is interiorly threaded, as indicated by the numeral 4.

The other head of the stretcher is in the nature of an upper-engaging plate which is indicated by the numeral 5 and which is of a marginal contour corresponding substantially to the shape ofthe top portionxof the upper when the shoe is being worn. This plate 5 is provided at its margin with a suitable number of upstanding spurs 6 which. are designed to be engaged with the lower edge of the usual binding 7 within the top of the shoe upper, as clearly shown inFigs.

- 2 and 8 of the drawings. The upper-engaging plate 5 is formed at a central point with an opening 8 and fitted in this opening is the reduced upper end 9 of a shank member 10, a washer '11 being fitted to the said reduced end oi": the shank member and bearing against the underside of the plate and the said reduced 'end of the shank memberbeing threaded to accommodate a nut 12 which lies above the plate 5, the said shank member 10 being in this manner :rotatably connected with the said plate. The lower portion of the shank member .10 is threaded, as indicated by the numeral 13, and adjustably fitted within the shank 3 of the heel plate 1. In order that the shank 10 may be rotated so as to adjust the same within the shank 3, the reduced upper end of the shank 10 is squared, as indicated by the numeral 14%, for the application thereto of a suitable key 15 which, after adjustment of the said shank. 10, may be removed. It will now be evident, and particularly-by reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings, that in arranging the stretcher within a shoe, the

heel plate 1 is disposed against the upper side of the heel portion of the insole of the shoe in position centrallylocated with relation to the counter whereupon the shoe upper is so arranged about the upper-engaging plate 5 that the spurs 6 of the said plate will enter the binding 7 The key 15 is then applied and the shank 10 is rotatably adjusted so as to lengthen the shank connection between the heel and uppenengaging plates. In this manner the entire upper will be stretched in an upward direction and as it is held distended by the plate 5, it will assume a natural shape when the key 15 has been turned the required number of times. It will be understood that not only does the adjustment of the shank 1O serve to increase or decrease the distance between the heads of the stretcher so as to suitably stretch the shoe upper but, furthermore, this adjustment adapts the stretcherto be arranged.

within shoes having uppers oi various heights which, ofcourse, is of great advantage inasmuch as a single stretcher may be interchangeably arranged within a vast number of sizes and styles of shoes.

The toe form comprises a toe block 16 similar to the toe blocks of ordinary shoe trees and adapted, of course, to fit within the toe of 'theshoe. A flexible resilient shank member 17 is securedat its lower end as at 18, in or to the toe block 16 and is provided at its upper end with a slide 19. .Slidably fitting within the slide 19is another flexible resilient shank member indicated by the numeral120 and this member atits lower end is provided with a slide .21 corresponding to the slide 19 and slidably fitting the first mentioned shank member 17 In [order that the shank of the toe form may be suitably connected with the stretcher previously described, the upper-engaging 'plate 5 is formed at its forwardside with a transverse slot 22 into which may be inserted the upper end of the shank member 20 of the toe form, as clearly shown in said Fig. 8 and also in Figs. .1 and 2. The provision of the slides 19 and 21 serves, of course, to adaptthe shank members 17 and 20 to be relatively slidably adjusted so that the shank of thetoe form as a whole may belengthened or shortened. Thus, when the toe block 16 is fitted into the toe of the shoe and the shank has been suitably adjusted as regards its length the upper :end of the shank may-be engaged in the slot 22, after which the tongue of the shoe maybe draped over the shank of the toe form and the shoe laced more or less tightly as desired. As the shoe is laced or buttoned as the case may be, the

shank of the toe form will, of course be pressed inwardly so that when this operation is completed the shankwill bear against the inner side of the front of the shoe upper and will conform to the general shape thereof.

From the foregoing descripton' of the invention it will be understood that toe forms of various shapes and dimensions maybe substituted one for another in connection with the upper stretcher of the device and that the device is of practically universal application. It will also be evident that when the device is properly arranged within a shoe and adjusted, the shoe willbe caused to assume substantially exactly the shape which it would assume if worn.

It will be understood that the toe block 16 may be formed of wood, metal, or any other material suitable for thepnrpose.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: v

1. In ashoe form, upper-stretcher, a toe form, and lacing supporting means associating thestretcher and toe form;

{In a shoe :torm, an upper .1 stretchelywa toe form, and a lacing supporting means separably connecting the stretcher and toe form.

3. In a shoe form, an upper stretcher, a toe form, and a separable shank connecting the stretcher and toe form and providing a lacing supporting means.

5 In a shoe form, an upper stretcher, a toe form, and a separable adjustable shank connecting the stretcher and toe form and providing a lacing supporting means.

5. In a shoe form, an upper stretcher, and a toe form having a resilient shank connected with said upper stretcher in position to conform to the forward side of the shoe upper.

6. In a shoe form, an upper stretcher, and a toe form having a resilient shank adjustable as to length and connected with said upper stretcher in position to engage the forward side of the shoe upper.

7. In a shoe form, an upper stretcher including connected heel and upper-engaging heads, and a toe form having a resilient flexible shank connected with the upper-engaging head.

8. In a shoe form, an upper stretcher including heel and upper-engaging heads, and a toe form having a resilient shank engaged with the upper-engaging head and extending between the said head and the toe form in position to conform to the forward side of the shoe upper.

9. In a shoe form, an upper stretcher including heel and upper-engaging heads, and a toe form having a resilient shank engaged with the upper-engaging head and extending between the said head and the toe form in position to conform to the forward side of the shoe upper, the said shank being resilient.

10. In a shoe form, an upper stretcher including heel and upper-engaging heads, and a toe form having a resilient shank engaged with the upper-engaging head and extending between the said head and the toe form in position to conform to the forward side of the shoe upper, the said shank being adjustable as to length.

11. In a shoe form, an upper stretcher including heel and upper-engaging heads, and a toe form having a resilient shank engaged with the upper-engaging head and extending between the said head and the toe form in position to conform to the forward side of the shoe upper, the said shank being adjustable as to length and being resilient.

12. In a shoe form, a toe block, a form member disposable within the upper of a shoe, and a resilient element extending be tween the toe block and the said form member.

13. In a shoe form, a toe block, a form member disposable within the upper of a shoe, and a resilient element extending between the toe block and the said form member in position to engage the front of the shoe upper.

14. In a toe form, a toe block, a form member disposable within the upper of a shoe, and a resilient element extending between the toe block and the said form member in position to engage the front of the shoe upper, the said resilient element being adjustable as to length.

15. In a shoe form, a form member disposable within the upper of a shoe to hold the said upper distended, a toe block, and a resilient shank extending from the toe block to and engaged with the said form member.

16. In a shoe form, a form member disposable within the upper of a shoe to hold the said upper distended, a toe block, and a resilient shank extending from the toe block to and engaged with the said form member, said shank being adjustable as to length.

17. In a shoe form, an upper distending and supporting member and a heel engaglng member adjustably connected therewith, a toe distending member, and lacing supporting means adjustably connecting the upper and toe members for relative movement to compensate for relative adjusting movement of the upper and heel members.

18. In a shoe form, an upper stretcher comprising a heel engaging head, an upperengaging head, and a shank extending be tween the heads and comprising coasting threaded sections, one of the sections having means extending above the upper-engaging head whereby the said section may be rotated.

19. In a shoe form, an upper stretcher comprising a heel engaging plate having an engaging spur, an upper-engaging head, and a shank extending between the plate and head and adjustable as to length.

9.0. In a shoe form, an upper engaging head of a marginal contour to distend to its filled contour the upper portion of a shoe upper within which it is to be arranged and provided with marginal engaging spurs, a heel engaging member, and means extending between the head and member adjustable to relatively separate the same.

21. In a shoe form, an upper stretcher including an upper-engaging head, a heel engaging head, a shank section extending from the heel engaging head, and a shank section rotatably carried by the upper-engaging head and having threaded engagement with the first mentioned section.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

MARINES T. .KALDENBERG. a. 8.] 

